Rudder steering sled



y 1952 LE ROY o. GIERKE 2,605,112

RUDDER STEERING SLED Filed Sept. 19. 1949 Fig.

Le Roy 0. Gier/remmvron This invention relates Patented July 29, 1952 UNITED, srzmzs m Solien, Edger ton, Wis.

Application September 19, 1949, Serial'No. 1 16,57 2

' 2 Claims. (Cl. 280-:21)

at the rear end of a sled base, the rudder beingoperable in response to movements of a pivoted steering handle member disposed at the front of the base.

Another object of this invention is to resiliently oppose the operation of the steering member by means of a pair of springs which react on the base and on a steering member, the steering member being fixed for movement with the handle bar member, the resilient opposition members being so arranged as to cause the rudder to return to a position which is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the base.

Ancillary objects and features of novelty will '40 "which is fixed to the 'h'ous'ingis juxtaposed with respect to the opening34 and hasasleeve 42 rotatively' disposed become apparent in following the description of the illustrated form of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure -1 is an elevational view of the device;

Figure 2 is a bottom view of the device shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse view taken substantially in the line 33 of Figure 2 and in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially onthe line 4-4 of Figure 2 and in the direction of the arrows, and;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 55 of Figure 2 and in the direction of the arrows.

The present invention relates to attachments for sleds. It is one of the purposes of the invention to steer a sled by means of manual control of a rudder operating member disposed at,

the front of the sled whereby movement thereof is reflected in turning movement of the rudder.

A substantiall conventional sled generally indicated at In is disclosed as includin a base 12 with a strengthening member l4 along the longitudinal edges and along the front edge thereof. A pair of side rails or runners l6 and I8 respectively are secured to hanger which depend from the base. A center rail depends from the brackets 22 and 24 which are disposed on the transverse braces 26 and 28.

A plate 30 is secured to the rear end of the base and on the undersurface thereof by means l of bolts 32 or other suitable fastening means such as rivets or the like. This plate has an opening 34 therein for passage of the bolt 36 which forms a part of the pivot for the rudder. A nut 38 is disposed on the bolt and seated in the housing bunting page). A The therein. I This sleeve is concentric with the bolt and also forms a Part of the'pivot. the head end ofthe bolt being fixed to the interior-of the sleeve. 1

A rudder 44 which has an upturned front portion 46 is fixed to the bottom of the sleeve, as by welding. Asupport brace 48 extends from the curved portion and is fixed to the sleeve 42. A control arm 50 is fixed to the sleeve and has a plate 52 secured thereunder as by the screws 54. In operation upon rotation of the arm 50, the

support plate 52, sleeve 42 and rudder 44 rotate.

about the longitudinal axis of the bolt 36 as an axis of rotation.

Links 56 and 58 are secured at the ends of the control arm 50 for pivotal movement and pass through the guides 59 and 60 which depend from the brace 26.

The front ends of the'links 58 and 56 are secured pivotally through the steering or control rod 54 which is fixed to the pivot pin 66. This pivot pin passes through the base l2 and also through the bearing 68 which is spaced from the rod or bar 64 by washers 10 and 12.

Another spacer 14 is disposed on the base l2 and a'handle bar or steering member 15 is seated thereon. A recess 18 shaped ,to conform with the head of the pivot bolt 66 is formed in the handle bar 16 accommodating said head.

Hangers 82 and 84 are fixed to the brace 28 and have the links 58 and 56 passed therethrough, serving the purposeof guides. The apertures in the hangers 82 and 84 are sufiiciently large to allow slight lateral displacement of the links when they are operated for rudder control.

A pair of springs and 92 respectively have their ends secured in the eyes 93, 94 and 95, 96. The eyes 93 and 84 are secured respectively to the hanger 82 and the control or steering bar 64. The eye members 95 and 96 are secured respectively to the hanger 84 and the control member 64. Accordingly, the springs constantly resiliently oppose the operation of the'handle bar l5 and are so arranged as to cause the rudder 44 to maintain a position substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the base l2.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

E NT Q FZF ICE apnoea STEE ING SLEI)" is Raye. Gierke, Edgerton', Wis., assignor of vtwelve and one-half per cent to William A.

, said brace and having guide apertures through 1 which said links pass, springs secured .to said steering rod to oppose rotative movement of said steering rod, and means "iastening said springs to said hangers. I

2. In a, sled which includes a base, a steering rudder disposed at the rear of said base and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the base,

vertically arranged means pivoting saidiru'dder ts 1 said base and a control :arm fixed to said rudder,

IllIiks secured-to said-control arm,-and means disposerdndjacent the front of'zsaid :base'for operating :saidrlinks :to actuate'saidrrudder, said operating means including .a' handle :bar with vertiueally arranged means pivoting said handle :bar'to 531d base, a steering rod secured to "said :last

mentioned means for movement therewith and said links being secured to said steering rod, and resilient mean arranged parallel to said axis reacting on said base and secured to said steering rod maintaining said control rod in position so as to cause said rudder to remain parallel to said axis.

- RGY 0.:GIERKE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of .this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS fNumber ame Date 388,794 Roe May 2, 1905 1219,0112 Pritcnard Mar. 13, 1917 1,546,805 St. Pierre July 21, 1925 1393381 Walker Jan. 3, 1933 1,903,930 Miller Apr. 18, 1933 2,199,680, Sherwood May l, 19 10 r FOREIGN PATENT Number Country; Date tSwitzer'land Apr. 9, 1908 

